The industrialization that marked Quebec City at the end of the nineteenth century is linked with school attendance becoming more widespread, but also with children's earlier entry into the labour market. Industrialization actually stunted the longevity of school attendance by generating jobs that called for few qualifications and that could be held by children. The author tests the long-held "myth" of French Canadians' low educational levels compared to their Irish Catholic and English-speaking Protestant neighbours and concludes that social class, not ethnic association, determined the rate of school attendance for each ethnic community.